


for the kids back home (part 2)

by batyatoon



Series: for the kids back home [2]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-03-12
Packaged: 2018-01-15 07:25:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1296445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/batyatoon/pseuds/batyatoon





	for the kids back home (part 2)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [amoama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amoama/gifts).



We watch as the Games go on. I'm at home with my mother, or at the Hawthornes' place, watching with Hazelle and Gale and Posy.

Katniss doesn’t ally with anyone right off, fleeing the horrible battle at the Cornucopia. I think Gale’s relieved; I don’t talk to him about Peeta Mellark, not after seeing his face during the last interview.

The cameras don’t follow Katniss that much, during the first day or two of the Games. It means she’s not doing anything exciting, which means she isn’t killing anyone and no one’s come close to killing her. I try to tell myself it’s a good thing we aren’t seeing much of her.

It’s hard to keep watching when Katniss isn’t on the screen. It’s both harder and easier when she is: when the fire comes, when she gets treed by the Career Tributes, when she cuts down the tracker jacker nest.

When she finds Rue again, and teams up with her.

. . . . .

Rue can stay quiet and keep her head when she’s in danger. Rue’s at home in the forest, finding berries and roots to eat, flitting from tree to tree like a bird. Rue knows healing plants, can find and use the leaves that cure the tracker jacker stings.

I wanted to tell Katniss to take care of her. That's not gone, but there's something new: I want to tell Rue to take care of Katniss. Like I would if I were there; if we could somehow both be there.

There was never any way that could happen. One boy and one girl from each District, never two. If I were there, I wouldn’t be there instead of Rue; I would be there instead of Katniss. Maybe we would have been allies, the two of us hiding from all the bigger Tributes, until --

It doesn’t do any good to think of that, and I keep thinking about it anyway. She knows healing plants, like our mother does, like I’m learning to.

The way Katniss talks to Rue, I can tell she reminds Katniss of me. If it were me in the arena instead, I think maybe Rue would remind me of Katniss, brave and tough and smart, and never giving up.

I don’t know what that means. I know I’ll never have the chance to talk to Rue about it, no matter what happens.

I’m so scared for Katniss, I don’t know how I have any room left to care what happens to anyone else.


End file.
